BREAKING NEWS: Sam Darnold Likely to Miss Multiple Weeks

BREAKING NEWS: Sam Darnold Likely to Miss Multiple Weeks

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by | Sep 12, 2019 | Featured, NFL

The New York Jets are coming off of a disappointing performance in Week 1. They held a 16-0 lead over the Buffalo Bills but then surrendered 17 unanswered points and lost a game they had complete control over.

For Week 2, they were to headline Monday Night Football in their matchup against the—also disappointing and winless—Cleveland Browns. Both teams had made massive changes to their rosters during the offseason and are led by second-year quarterbacks.

News broke today that one of those quarterbacks will not be participating this primetime matchup.

Adam Gase told reporters during his press conference before practice today that their starting QB, Sam Darnold would miss the game due to a sickness he had picked up.

The disease Darnold has contracted is mononucleosis. The team says he will be out indefinitely.

New York has a bye in Week 4, the earliest the Jets are targeting to get Darnold back is Week 5.

Sep 12, 2019 No Comments
Breaking News: Tyreek Hill Injury Update

Breaking News: Tyreek Hill Injury Update

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by | Sep 11, 2019 | Featured, NFL

Hill was sidelined for most of the week 1 match up versus the Jaguars after having to be carted off during the 1st half from an apparent shoulder injury.

 

He was taken to the local hospital after the game where they diagnosed him with a rare sternoclavicular joint injury. The Chiefs will be cautious as this is not a common injury, as Danny Amendola was the last player to sustain this injury back in 2012 when playing for the Rams.

 

Luckily for Chiefs fans, Hill was able to avoid the Injured Reserve list. The timetable for his return is set at 4-6 weeks. If Hill was designated to the IR, he would have to wait the mandatory 8 weeks before being cleared to return. 

 

Kansas City travels to Oakland to take on the Raiders in week 2. Hill’s presence will be missed, so expect Kelce and Sammy Watkins to be the top targets of Mahomes. Along with this, rookie WR Mecole Hardman should get more snaps as well. 

Sep 11, 2019 No Comments
BREAKING NEWS: Antonio Brown Accused of Rape and Sexual Assault

BREAKING NEWS: Antonio Brown Accused of Rape and Sexual Assault

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by | Sep 11, 2019 | Featured, NFL

Tuesday was Antonio Brown’s first full day as a member of the New England Patriots. His time with the Oakland Raiders saw his name in the news constantly, eventually the hijinx and off the field activities became too much for Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden to deal with and they released him. He landed on his feet alongside Bill Belichick and Tom Brady and we all awaited what the on-field product would look like.

However, TMZ broke the news this evening that Brown is being accused of rape and sexual assault by his trainer and college friend. There are three separate incidents reported and they all occur between 2017 and 2018.

According to the alleged victim, each interaction became progressively worse. It began with Brown “exposed himself and kissed [her] without her consent.” Then Brown was positioned behind her and “began masturbating without her knowledge and ejaculated on her back.” Finally, a year after the second alleged assault, he “forced her down onto a bed, pushed her face into the mattress, and forcibly raped her.”

The lawsuit states that the two met while attending Central Michigan University and the accuser describes herself as a “world class gymnast”. She released the following statement:

“As a rape victim of Antonio Brown, deciding to speak out has been an incredibly difficult decision. I have found strength in my faith, my family, and from the accounts of other survivors of sexual assault. Speaking out removes the shame that I have felt for the past year and places it on the person responsible for my rape. I will cooperate with the NFL and any other agencies; however, at this time, I respectfully request that the media please respect my privacy.”
Through his attorney, Darren Heitner, a statement was released vehemently denying these accusations.https://twitter.com/DarrenHeitner/status/1171584983280095233?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5EtweetESPN’s Josina Anderson reported that Brown plans to countersue for civil extortion. The Patriots have issued the following statement:

This story will be updated as more details emerge.

Sep 11, 2019 No Comments
SR Fantasy Football Week 1: Winners and Losers

SR Fantasy Football Week 1: Winners and Losers

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by | Sep 10, 2019 | Featured, NFL

After an exciting first week of football, there are many takeaways to be had. Let’s take a closer look at players whose stock either jumped or fell.

Winners:

The Baltimore Ravens

Wow! What a performance by the Ravens in Miami …oh wait, Miami traded away their best players for a shot at Tua Tagovailoa in next years draft. Nevertheless, what the Ravens did yesterday to the Dolphins was special. 59-10 doesn’t just happen out of nowhere. “Lamar Jackson can’t throw, he should be a running back” was put to rest early. The Sophomore QB tossed 5 TDS on a perfect passer rating. Rookie WR Marquise Brown dazzled with 4 catches for 147 yards and 2 scores on just 14 snaps! It was an easy test, but the Ravens are for real. 

Sammy Watkins

Watkins was the recipient of the first Mahomes TD of the season. He wound up catching two more TDs that game to go along with nearly 200 yards receiving. Tyreek Hill sustained a shoulder injury and is expected to miss some time. Watkins is a borderline  WR1 until the return of Hill. 

Dalvin Cook

Cook proved most advocates right on Sunday, as the third year back looked terrific in his season debut against the Falcons. Cook diced up the Atlanta defense for 111 yards on the ground and 2 TDs. The Vikings look to have a much better grip on the run game this year, which will only lead to Cook’s success. 

DeSean Jackson

In Jackson’s first game back with Philly, he put on a show. Connecting with Carson Wentz on two deep ball TDs, D-Jax ended the day with over 150 receiving yards and 8 grabs on 10 targets. Jackson looked like the #1 WR in the Eagles offense, and although he won’t produce like this every week, it’s a great sign to see success this early. Classify Jackson as a strong WR2 now. 

Losers:

The Cleveland Browns

The Browns had a very disappointing home opener to the Tennessee Titans. They let Derrick Henry go wild and didn’t show much resilience after a rough start. Baker Mayfield and the offense struggled mightily, but don’t be too worried if you are a Nick Chubb or Odell Beckham Jr. owner. Tennessee deserves some credit here for their underrated defensive unit. It will be interesting to see how first year HC Freddy Kitchens rallies the troops for next week. 

O.J. Howard

After receiving massive hype during the offseason, Howard had a pitiful week 1 performance. He had four receptions for 32 yards and a fumble. He also had a few drops while fellow TE Cameron Brate shined with a touchdown score. Not much time for Howard to regroup with Carolina on TNF. Owners have to feel dicey starting Howard with the great LB core of the Panthers. 

Cam Newton

Speaking of the Panthers, Cam Newton finds himself as a week 1 Fantasy loser. The Carolina QB had a tough start to his 2019 campaign as he hurled for 239 yards and an INT. He didn’t account for any TDs and also lost a fumble in their 30-27 loss. Known for his ability to run, Cam had -2 rushing yards on only three attempts as well. Newton is a very risky week-to-week start in any fantasy league. 

Sony Michel

As the Patriots demolished the Steelers on Sunday Night Football, Michel fantasy owners were losing their minds. If you said the Patriots would beat the Steelers 33-3, I would have guaranteed a good game from Sony Michel. The Patriots offense has always been like this though, as their game plan changes week to week. Don’t be too concerned about Michel, as the Patriots know how valuable the run game is for Tom Brady and their success. 

Sep 10, 2019 No Comments
New England Patriots Trade Demaryius Thomas to the New York Jets

New England Patriots Trade Demaryius Thomas to the New York Jets

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by | Sep 10, 2019 | Featured, NFL

In what can only best be described as Extreme Home Makeover: Bill Belichick Edition, the New England Patriots have made another move. This time, instead of adding someone to what has become the most talented wide receiver group in the NFL they are letting a piece go.

New England signed Demaryius Thomas this offseason back when there were legit questions over what reliable options outside of Julian Edelman Tom Brady would have to throw to with Rob Gronkowski retired and Josh Gordon indefinitely suspended.

Belichick and the Patriots knew Thomas well as they faced off many times when the wideout was in his prime and partnered with the one true rival to Brady, Peyton Manning.

Thomas was still recovering from the torn Achilles he suffered after being traded by the Denver Broncos to the Houston Texans—who just so happen to have ties to the Patriots within their franchise.

He didn’t practice much with the team but was able to take the field for the fourth and final preseason game where he caught seven of the eight passes thrown his way by rookie quarterback Jarrett Stidham totaling 87 yards and two touchdowns.

New England waived him before the season began but quickly brought him back the same week. The. They were able to snag Antonio Brown in free agency and it looked like the Patriots were going to roster three former number one receivers along with Edelman and 2019 first-round pick N’Keal Harry.

However, to avoid a too many cooks situation, Belichick has decided to offload Thomas—the least healthy of the team’s top pass catchers—for a 2021 sixth-round pick. The surprise is where he sent the former Pro Bowler: the New York Jets.

Belichick has been coach and general manager in New England since 2000, which cane about as a trade between the two teams. Over that time he has made a trade with 31 different teams. Until today, the Jets were the only franchise he has not made a deal with.

Their divisional rivalry has ties deeper than just what’s happened on the field. Belichick spurned New York after being named Bill Parcells replacement for New England. There’s also the whole Spygate drama that was initiated by Jets head coach and former Belichick assistant, Eric Mangini.

But the Jets brought in Adam Gase to be their next head coach and he is respected by Belichick—possibly in a way he’s never respected a non-Parcells head coach in New York.

Gase was the offensive coordinator of those Manning-led Broncos team. Not only has he gone head-to-head with Bill but he also has coached Thomas.

If healthy, this reunion could be just the situation. He needs to reaffirm that he still has gas left in the tank. The Jets have long been searching for a true number one option. Given how Thomas looked in his lone appearance this year—albeit against mostly third-string players—there’s a chance he could be just what is missing from Gase’s revamped Jets offense.

Sep 10, 2019 No Comments
Primetime Preview: Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders

Primetime Preview: Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders

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by | Sep 10, 2019 | Featured, NFL

Week 1 comes to a close with a meeting of AFC West rivals as the Denver Broncos face the Oakland Raiders in what will be the final Monday Night Football game in Oakland–Raiders are moving to Las Vegas next season.

Unless you were hiding under a rock, with no WiFi reception, the Oakland Raiders offseason (headlined by the Antonio Brown drama) was heard and seen by pretty much everyone. The team enters Week 1 with more question marks then it had when their season ended last year.

Jon Gruden is in year two of his 10-year deal and while it is unlikely that the Raiders let him go any time soon, he surely wants to turn things around from what the team put on display a season ago. In back-to-back years, Oakland has seen its best player leave the team before the season even started.

The head coach does still have Derek Carr on the roster and with some experience in Gruden’s offense, the hope is that Carr will be able to replicate his near MVP season that was derailed by injury in December of 2016.

Helping Carr and the offense find their groove sans AB is first-round pick (one of three Oakland had in the 2019 NFL Draft) is running back Josh Jacobs. Jacobs was a three-star recruit coming out of high school and waited his turn at Alabama until he exploded as an every-down back as a Junior.

Given the pass rush that the Broncos are packing with Von Miller and Bradley Chubb on either side of the ball, quick drop off passes and screens to Jacobs should be a heavy part of the game plan tonight. New Denver head coach, Vic Fangio should be ready for that. He’s one year removed from revamping the Chicago Bears defense back into their “Monsters of the Midway” past. He was brought up to the Mile High city to produce similar results. Having Chubb and Miller is a great starting point.

On offense, the team will be led by Joe Flacco who comes over from the Baltimore Ravens after losing his job to Lamar Jackson. He will be working with Royce Freeman and Phillip Lindsay in the backfield. Lindsay is coming off a year that saw him become the first undrafted rookie to make a Pro Bowl in his first NFL season. The two should operate more in a committee style to keep both fresh for the entire season.

Outside, Emmanuel Sanders is returning from a torn Achilles but still looks like a reliable option. Courtland Sutton is looking to improve upon his rookie year and cement himself as the team’s number one target. Flacco has targeted his tight ends often in his career and Denver used their first-round pick in 2019 on former Iowa tight end Noah Fant–his teammate T.J. Hockenson just set a record with 134 receiving yards in his NFL debut.

The Raiders will be relying on their other two 2019 first-round draft choices to make an impact, defensive end Clelin Ferrell and safety Jonathan Abrams. Abrams was a favorite of the camera during Oakland’s Hard Knocks stint during training camp and preseason. He talked a big game and there’s no better stage to back that up than on Monday Night Football.

If the defense can find themselves this year than there’s hope for the Raiders to make something out of what is already a crazy season. If not, the long year will only grow longer.

As the nightcap, this game might not be as entertaining as the first game of tonight’s double-header but rest assured that these two heated rivals will be locked into a battle to end Week 1.

Sep 10, 2019 No Comments